Friday 13 April 1666

Up, being called up by my wife’s brother, for whom I have got a commission from the Duke of Yorke for Muster-Master of one of the divisions, of which Harman is Rere-Admirall, of which I am glad as well as he. After I had acquainted him with it, and discoursed a little of it, I went forth and took him with me by coach to the Duke of Albemarle, who being not up, I took a walk with Balty into the Parke, and to the Queene’s Chappell, it being Good Friday, where people were all upon their knees very silent; but, it seems, no masse this day. So back and waited on the Duke and received some commands of his, and so by coach to Mr. Hales’s, where it is pretty strange to see that his second doing, I mean the second time of her sitting, is less like Mrs. Pierce than the first, and yet I am confident will be most like her, for he is so curious that I do not see how it is possible for him to mistake. Here he and I presently resolved of going to White Hall, to spend an houre in the galleries there among the pictures, and we did so to my great satisfaction, he shewing me the difference in the payntings, and when I come more and more to distinguish and observe the workmanship, I do not find so many good things as I thought there was, but yet great difference between the works of some and others; and, while my head and judgment was full of these, I would go back again to his house to see his pictures, and indeed, though, I think, at first sight some difference do open, yet very inconsiderably but that I may judge his to be very good pictures. Here we fell into discourse of my picture, and I am for his putting out the Landskipp, though he says it is very well done, yet I do judge it will be best without it, and so it shall be put out, and be made a plain sky like my wife’s picture, which will be very noble. Thence called upon an old woman in Pannier Ally to agree for ruling of some paper for me and she will do it pretty cheap. Here I found her have a very comely blackmayde to her servant, which I liked very well. So home to dinner and to see my joiner do the bench upon my leads to my great content. After dinner I abroad to carry paper to my old woman, and so to Westminster Hall, and there beyond my intention or design did see and speak with Betty Howlett, at her father’s still, and it seems they carry her to her own house to begin the world with her young husband on Monday next, Easter Monday. I please myself with the thoughts of her neighbourhood, for I love the girl mightily. Thence home, and thither comes Mr. Houblon and a brother, with whom I evened for the charter parties of their ships for Tangier, and paid them the third advance on their freight to full satisfaction, and so, they being gone, comes Creed and with him till past one in the morning, evening his accounts till my head aked and I was fit for nothing, however, coming at last luckily to see through and settle all to my mind, it did please me mightily, and so with my mind at rest to bed, and he with me and hard to sleep. [Continued tomorrow. P.G.]

" ... to spend an houre in the galleries there among the pictures, and we did so to my great satisfaction, he shewing me the difference in the payntings, ... and, while my head and judgment was full of these, I would go back again to his house to see his pictures, ..."

Clearly Hales has great confidence in his own abilities and skill. Its also worth observing that the attributions on many paintings in England at the time were to later eyes statements of hope and aspiration made frequently without the benefit of knowledge of known autograph works.

" ... and I am for his putting out the Landskipp, though he says it is very well done, yet I do judge it will be best without it, and so it shall be put out, and be made a plain sky like my wife’s picture, which will be very noble."

After only an hours 'show and tell' tour in the Whitehall Galleries Lady Catherine de Bourgh-Pepys is in action!

Hales may have made a very good job of the landscape background, but Sam clearly felt that it distracted the eye from the portrait itself. I think that he had a point - no-one can deny the presence of the subject in the picture that has come down to us.

No mention of any additional payment being exacted by Hales for the additional work, injured professional pride etc. involved in this revision.

"did see and speak with Betty Howlett, at her father’s still, and it seems they carry her to her own house to begin the world with her young husband on Monday next, Easter Monday."

I don't know about the rules of the Anglican Church then or now, but I know that the Roman Catholic Church does not have a regular "mass" on Good Friday -- the only day of the year this is so. There is a service, but no Communion on this day. Also, the Church does not allow any marriages to take place during Lent. I also remember reading that before Henry VIII broke with Rome he was not allowed to have intercourse with his wife during lent.

The Queen's Chapel was indeed a Roman Catholic chapel, so one would not expect there to have been a Mass celebrated on Good Friday - though Sam does not appear to have realised that this would be the case. He was, after all, brought up by an apparently sectarian mother in a broadly Anglican household.

L&M note X-rays taken in 1954 (and reproduce in the London: 1972 edition, vol vii opposite p. 98, the films overlapped to give a partial image of the left side of the canvas) which "did not reveal the original landscape. They showed alterations to the sitters left hand and the the sheet music with with the song 'Beauty Retire.' (Perhaps the notes were not legible enough for Pepys's taste) Less certainly, they suggested that the sheet of music was an afterthought. They also showed that Pepys's right arm and hand were originally included. ..."